/kown"seuhl/ , n.
1. an assembly of persons summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation, or advice.
2. a body of persons specially designated or selected to act in an advisory, administrative, or legislative capacity: the governor's council on housing.
3. (in certain British colonies or dependencies) an executive or legislative body assisting the governor.
4. an ecclesiastical assembly for deciding matters of doctrine or discipline.
5. New Testament. the Sanhedrin or other authoritative body.
[ 1125-75; ME co ( u ) nsile cuncil ( e ), OF concile concilium synod, church council (L: assembly), prob. equiv. to L con- CON- + -cil ( are ), comb. form of calare to summon, convoke + -ium -IUM; ME -s- by assoc. with AF cunseil COUNSEL ]
Usage . COUNCIL, COUNSEL, and CONSUL are not interchangeable. COUNCIL is a noun. Its most common sense is "an assembly of persons convened for deliberation or the like." It is generally used with a singular verb. A member of such a group is a councilor. COUNSEL is both noun and verb. Its most common meaning as a noun is "advice given to another": His counsel on domestic relations is sound. A person giving such advice is a counselor. In law, COUNSEL means "legal adviser or advisers" and can be either singular or plural. As a verb, COUNSEL means "to advise." The noun CONSUL refers to the representative of a government who guards the welfare of its citizens in a foreign country.